The poem 'The Shield of Achilles' by W.H. Auden is a meditation on the violence and brutality of the modern world, using an episode from Homer's 'Iliad'. It describes Thetis's dismay at the scenes Hephaestus creates on Achilles' shield, which depict an artificial wilderness, a sky like lead, and scenes of human suffering and cruelty. The collection, also titled 'The Shield of Achilles', includes poems written by Auden from 1951 through 1954 and won the U.S. National Book Award for Poetry in 1956. The poem and collection reflect themes of modernity, futility, war, heroism, death, and the passivity of modern men.
Seveneves tells the story of an apocalyptic event where the Moon suddenly breaks apart without warning, leading to a catastrophic 'Hard Rain' of moon fragments that will render Earth uninhabitable for thousands of years. The novel follows the global efforts to save humanity by evacuating people to a swarm of 'arklet' habitats in orbit. The story is divided into three parts, covering the immediate aftermath, the long-term survival in space, and the eventual re-colonization of Earth five thousand years later. The book delves into themes of science, technology, genetics, and the long-term implications of human survival and societal rebuilding[2][3][5].
Joe Lonsdale is an entrepreneur, investor, and co-founder of Palantir Technologies.
What is Palantir really about? You’ve probably heard the name, but what do they actually do, and who’s the brains behind it? Today, Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale joins to break down the company's origins, his story, and where the future of the world is headed.
Expect to learn how Joe got Peter Thiel to mentor him, how Joe thinks about ambition and drive, how to avoid cynicism, the advice Joe has for people who want to become best at what they do, if Trump is a mastermind with these tariffs, the biggest problems Joe see’s with higher education at the moment, how to judge a good founder, what the future of warfare looks like, and much more…
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Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59
#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf
#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp
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